"Bad Point," but it can also be translated as
"bad end." Punta Mala symbolizes death, though Conrad doesn't call
attention to the symbol until the death of Nostromo at the end of the book .
The hints here ("last spur," "steep hill at the back," "shadow
on the sky") are very subtle. But Conrad is here suggesting the insignificance
of death -- perhaps its insignificance as a factor guiding men's motives. The
small size of this paragraph between two larger ones emphasizes the insignificance.